Box Score vs. Valdosta State
Box Score vs. North Alabama
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Eckerd College volleyball team split a pair of matches against Gulf South Conference opponents on the second day of the University of West Florida Regional Crossover
on Friday.
The Tritons (10-8, 2-4 SSC) were barely squeezed past by Valdosta State (Ga.) University in a tight five-set defeat with the closest margin possible and collected their tenth win of the season in a straight-set sweep of the University of North Alabama.
Eckerd faced tournament host No. 19 West Florida to begin the Regional Crossover last night on the Argonauts' home floor at the UWF Field House.
Eckerd 2, Valdosta State 3 (23-25, 25-17, 20-25, 26-24, 13-15)
Eckerd played the Blazers (14-5, 6-3 GSC) point-for-point throughout each game -- outhitting VSU's offense .261 to .243 -- but was unable to pull out the match in the decisive final set.
The loss was Eckerd's first five-set match of the season.
In the first set, Valdosta State jumped out to a 13-6 lead, but the Tritons pulled within one point later in the set at 21-20 with offensive help from All-Americans
Lindsay Biggs and
Ali McAlvany.
After a Blazer timeout, the Tritons kept it tied at 23-23 until Valdosta State pulled away aided by an Eckerd attacking error and a kill from junior Jenna Kirkwood.
Eckerd rebounded back in the second set, taking a 17-11 lead after a four-point run assisted by kills from Biggs and McAlvany and two Valdosta State attacking errors. The Tritons would not relinquish the lead and tied it up at one set apiece.
The match continued with little separation between either side in the third set, with each team's lead never extending to more than two points. Past the midway point in the set, Valdosta State broke away on a five-point streak to take a 21-13 lead.
The even tempo of the match continued into the fourth set, but this time Eckerd rallied yet again. With the score all tied up at 24-24, the Tritons took advantage of a Blazer attacking error and a big block up front from senior
Ana de Olano and junior
Grace Jones.
The Tritons led 12-10 in the fifth set, but three straight points for Valdosta State turned the tables as the Blazers took the lead.
Biggs posted a career-high 24 kills in the match and added 19 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. She passed her previous career-best total of 22 compiled against the same Valdosta State program one year ago.
Sophomore setter
Emily Schadow also collected her third double-double of the season with 24 assists and 13 digs. McAlvany (14),
Katarina Milojevic (19) and Jones (10) also contributed to the team's .261 attacking percentage.
Eckerd 3, North Alabama 0 (25-17, 25-10, 25-17)
The Tritons left nothing to chance in their second match of the day against North Alabama (5-14, 3-6 GSC), polishing off their ninth sweep of the season.
After cruising in the opening frame, Eckerd jumped out to a 14-5 lead in the second set, abetted by multiple service streaks from Schadow and senior
Kaleigh Humphrey.
The Tritons continued to command the court in the third set, collecting four services aces of 12 on the match -- a team-high total this season.
McAlvany led the Tritons with 10 kills. Jones added seven kills while Biggs and Milojevic each added six kills to contribute to the team's .359 attacking percentage. EC imposed their will along the front line with seven total blocks and tamed the Lions to a .060 attacking percentage.
Eckerd will conclude play at the UWF Regional Crossover
tomorrow afternoon in a match against GSC-affiliated Christian Brothers (Tenn.) University at
3 p.m. EST.
Live stats will be available at EckerdTritons.com.
